Safety elevator mechanism.



J. A. MARTIN. SAFETY ELEVATOR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FlLEi) AUG. H. 1915- Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

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J. A. MARTIN.

SAFETY ELEVATOR MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1 l; 1915- 1,291,,5. Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

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J. A MARTIN.

SAFETY ELEVATOR MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED AUGJI, 1915. 1,321, 5,Patented Ap1210 I917.

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Sim-WW3 run s rains razrnnr onnio JOHN A. MARTIN, OF SPOKANE,WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. WOODARD, OF SPOKANE,WASHINGTON.

SAFETY ELEVATOR. MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a e. in, 1917.

Application filed August 11, 1915. Serial No. 44,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety ElevatorMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for elevatorsfor preventing accidents while passengers are entering or leaving thecar.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a safety mechanismwhich is initiated for action by adjustment of the controller to aneutral position, and in its most improved embodiment, the inventionemploys electrical mechanism which is ener gized by the closing of acircuit upon adjustment of said controller to a neutral position,

The invention also includes adoor locking means of a novel characterwhich is adapted to be released to permit the door of the landing to beopened and which is arranged to be actuated by opening movement of thedoor to energize novel mechanism functioning to lock the controlleragainst movement from its neutral position while the door is in an openposition.

The novel door locking mechanism of this invention is so arranged andconstructed as to permit of adjustment of the parts thereof in such amanner as to prevent said mechanism from functioning as a lockingmechanism but to permit said mechanism to func tion as an actuatingmechanism, and further, in special instances, said mechanism may besub-divided so as to act solely as an actuating mechanism especially atground floor landings where it is not desired to lock the dooradditionally with respect to the individual locking latch thereof.

It is a feature of this invention to provide the locking mechanism orimproved safety devicewitha source of power, or'preferably, a circuitwholly independent of the operating source of power and mechanism of theelevator car, but which is so related to the controller of the car as tobe initiated thereby when the controller is adjusted to a neutralposition, it being a cardinal feature of this invention to provide asafety mechanism which may be readily attached to any type of elevatoran'd which may be quickly thrown out of operation, in case of breakage,without shutting down the elevator. In practice, and where thisinvention is embodied in electrical form, I prefer to connect up withthe lighting circuit of the car.

The invention has many other features and objects which will be morefully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and whichwill be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

' In the drawings Figure l is a view of side elevation of an elevatorshowing the same approaching a landing with parts of the mechanism insection.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the elevatordoor in a closed position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a plunger circuit closer.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of my improved safety mechanismillustrating the electrical connections.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of my imline 3'3 of of in section taken online 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a rear View of the controller. Like characters of referencedesignate similar parts throughout the different figures of thedrawings.

In the illustrated form of the invention, 1 designates an elevator carand 2 designates a landing. The invention is shown applied to that typeof elevator shaft in which each landing is provided with a sliding door3 which is movable behind a landing cage 4, into an open position.

Reference will first be made to the improved door mechanism lockingmeans shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3.

A base 5 is selectively anchored to that portion of the landing 2 whichfaces the elevator so as to dispose portion of the mechanism of saiddoor locking means at the desired elevation for timely coaction withdevices carried by the car 1 whereby opening movement of the door may beeffected only when the car is within the selected range of flushrelation with the landing, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

. spindle 7, and having one terminal anchore-d to said spindle at 9 andthe other terminal anchored at said base at 10. Spindle 7 is providedwith a locking arm 11 which is preferably equipped with a roller 12adapted for engagement with the rear edge 13 of the door 3 to hold thelatter in a closed position. The action of spring 8 is normally to turnthe spindle 7 into the position shown in Fig. 2. When the door 3 isshifted to the left of Fig. 2 into an open position, after the spindle 7has been released, the door 3 Will positively engage the roller 12 andturn the arm 11 to the left of Fig. 2 and as the door 3 advances to theleft of Fig. 2 it will not only have actuated the spindle 7 but it Willmaintain the latter in an actuated position as long as the door remainsopen. One member of a latch device, as indicated at 14, is mounted onsaid spindle 7 and is shown in the form of an actuating plate or strip.Said actuating I plate 14 is provided with arms 15 which are shown fixedon spindle 7 by said screws 16 so that as the spindle 7 is oscillated,rocking movement will be imparted to plate 14. Plate 14 is provided withend portions 17 which are preferably bent at an angle to the plane ofthe plate 14 proper. In the present construction, I provide the plate 14with a lug or latch portion 18 for coaction with a bolt member of thelatch mechanism.

The said bolt member is indicated at 19 and is recessed at 20 to providean overhangingend 21 for engagement with said lug 18. The bolt 19 isjournaled in a bearing 22'for reciprocating movement and I provide thebolt 19 with a shank 23 which 1 is slidable in a bearing 24. A stop suchas a cotter pin 25 may be secured in said shank to limit movement of thebolt 19 to the right of'Fig. 3, beyond the position shown. When the bolt19 is shot into the position shown in Fig. 3, the door 3 will bepositively held against opening movement irrespective of the individuallatch with which the door may be provided. When the bolt 19 is retractedto the left of the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the plate 14 will bereleased so that the door 3 may be opened.

Reference will thus be made to the means for retracting bolt 19 to freelocking plate 14.

A spindle 26 is suitably journaled in bearings 27, mounted on base 5,and an actuated plate 28 is fixed on spindle 26 by means of arms 29, thearrangement providing for rocking movement of actuated plate 28 about afixed axis which is shown to be parallel With the axis of spindle 7. Aspiral spring 30 is coiled about said spindle 26 and one end of saidspring, as indicated at 31, extends beneath said plate 28 while theremaining end is anchored to base 5, at 32. The action of spring 30 isnormally to shift plate 28 into the position shown in Fig. 3. Plate 28is connected at 33 with a link 34 and the latter is bifurcated at itsopposite end where it is pivotally connected at 35, with shank 23 ofbolt 19. In the position shown in Fig. 3, the spring 30 acts to hold thebolt 19 in a shot position but if the plate 28 is shifted toward theshank 23 then the bolt 19 will be retracted out of engagement withactuating plate 14.

In practice, the parts may be set so that sufficient play will beafforded whereby the locking device may be thrown out of action, as alocking device proper, when desired.

Attention is directed to the fact that return movement of actuatingplate 14 from an outward position, to the position shown in Fig. 3, ismerely caused by spring 8. Furthermore, the outer face of part 21 isfiat so that the spring 8 could not latch the plate 14 into lockedrelation with bolt 19, as shown in Fig. 3, unless the bolt 19 had beenfirst retracted. Thus, if for any reason it was desired not to have thisportion of the mechanism function as a locking mechanism, it wouldmerely be necessary to retract the bolt 19 and advance the plate 14 sothat it would overlap instead of underlap the lip 21 of bolt 19. In thisadjustment, the plate 14 would function solely as an actuating plate andnot at all as a locking plate. The advantages accruing from thisconstruction will be more readily apparent in the following description.

Reference will next be made to that portion of the mechanism which iscarried by the elevator car, and which, in the present construction, isof an electrical type, in contradistinction to the door locking means,which latter is purely mechanical.

A lock releasing mechanism is shown mounted depending from the bottom ofthe elevator car and the same includes a linearally movable springcontrolled and electrically actuated plunger 36. Said plunger 36 isprovided on its outer end with a roller 37 which is in range for slidingor rolling contact with and projection against actuated plate 28, theupper and lower ends of which frame 417, depending from the elevator 1and 1 preferably provide bearings 418 and are preferably inclined asindicated at 38. The forward end of said plunger 36 is journaled forreciprocating movement in a bearing 39, depending from the car 1 and astop screw 10 projects into a hollowed out portion 11 of said plunger36. The plunger 36 is provided with a slot 12 for coaction with the stopscrew 10 to limit movement of the plunger 36 in opposite directions. Aspring 43 is interposed between stop 410 and a suitable shoulder as tonormally hold the plunger 26 in a retracted position, as shown inFig. 1. The plunger 36 extends through and is electrically operated by asolenoid 15 said plunger having an enlarged core 16. The solenoid as ismounted in a suitable 49 to guide the reduced ends 50, of the plunger36.

It will now be clear that as the solenoid is energized, the plunger 36will be projected to the left of Fig. 1 into engagement with actuatedplate 28 in a manner to rock the latter and retract the bolt 19. Thelength of plate 28 will provide ample range of contact for theplunger 36and it will be under stood that the base 5 and the plunger 36, wheninitially installed, will be relatively disposed in such selectedcoacting range as to provide for operative engagement either when thecar floor is flush with the landing or is above or below the same withina given range of distance dependent upon the desire of the owner of thebuilding.

Reference will next be made to a device which is also preferably in theform of a plunger and which is adapted to be actuated by the actuatingplate 14, said plunger being herein shown as a circuit closer or switch.

Referring to Fig. 41, the said plunger is shown at 51 and is provided onits free end with a roller 52. The plunger 51 reciprocates in a suitablemounting or bearing 53 which is preferably secured by a base 5-1 to thebottom of the car 1 so that the plunger 51 will occupy the positionshown in Figs. 2 and 3. Bearing 53 is provided with a slot 55throughwhich a stop screw 56, extends, said screw projecting into ahollowed-out portion 57, of the plunger 51. A spring 58 is interposedbetween stop 56 and an abutment 59 to normally dispose the plunger 51 inthe forward position shown in Fig. 4. The rear end of said plunger 51 isprovided with a block of insulating material 60 for actuating engagementat 61 with a spring member 62 of a switch. The spring member 62 isanchored, at 63 and is provided with a contact terminal 64 adapted forengagement with a contact terminal 65. Terminal 65 is disposed on aspring mounting 66, anchored at 67. The spring mounting 66 is temperedso as normally to approach terminal 6-1, when the switch terminals'arein the open position shown in Fig. 1. When the plunger 51 is retractedto the right of Fig. 1, terminal 6% will be forced into engagement withterminal 65 and the abutment 61 and block 60 are so proportioned thatthe engagement of terminal 6 1 with terminal 65 will be under such adegree of stress as not only to tension spring 62 but also spring 66,the latter being preferably flattened against its base 54 therebyinsuring a most effective electrical closure of the circuit. hen thespring 58 returns the plunger 51 to the position shown in Fig. 4,

a the resiliency of spring 62 will be sufficient ated elevators and thesame includes a housing 68, 68 provided with sets of contacts 69 and 70into engagement with which a wiping closure 71 may be selectivelythrust. Thus circuit is closed for ascending or descending movement ofthe car through the car operating circuit, not shown, dependent upon thedirection in which 71 is swung. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 5,that 71 must be swung a relatively considerable distance from theneutral position, into engagement with either set of contact terminals69 or 70. A. controller lever is indicated at 72 and is provided with ahandle 73. Lever 72 is mounted at 7 1 and is provided with a toothsegment 75 for mesh engagement with a gear wheel 7 6 to actuate saidclosure 71. This general description of the controller box will sufficeto make the operation of our invention clear in connection therewith.

Reference will next be made to my novel means for locking the controllerin its neutral adjustment.

Lever 72 is provided with a sector 77 having one tooth or notch 78therein. The locking lever 7 9 is pivotally mounted at 80 upon a base 81which is disposed adjacent the controller box 68. One end of said lever7 9 terminates in a tooth 82 adapted to enter said notch 78. Theremaining end of lever 79 is pivotedly connected at 83 with the core 84of a solenoid 85. When solenoid 85 is energized the lever 79 will berocked so as to project itstooth 82 into notch 78 and thereby lock lever7 2 in a neutral pos1- tion.

Reference will next be made to my improved controlling switch forclosing the circuit to initiate operation of certain portions of thesafety device immediately upon adjustment of the lever 72 to a neutralposition.

Carried by the closure 71, or in a manner to be moved therewith, is aswitch actuator 86 adapted to engage an abutment 87. Abutment 87 ismounted upon spring member 88 of the controlling switch and said member88 is provided with a terminal 89 for engagement with a fixed terminal90. The spring member 88 is shown anchored to a mounting 91. Thus itwill be seen that after the elevator operating current has been cut off,and before the lever 72 has reached aneutral position, the actuator 86will approach abutment 87 and when the lever 72 has finally reached aneutral position the controlling switch will be forced into a circuitclosing position.

The electrical connections and the operation of my improved safetydevice will next be described in detail.

My improved safety mechanism is operated from a circuit which isindependent from the operating circuit of the car, and

I preferably utilize the lighting circuit of the car, two leads of whichare designated at 92 and 93 as being connected with terminals 94 and 95of a switch which is designed to disconnect the safety mechanism in casethe same gets out of order so as to avoid shutting down the car. Theswitch blades are indicated at 96 and 97 as being hinged to terminals 98and 99. A switch bar 100, having-a suitable handle, serves to permit ofoperation of said switch. Terminal 98 is connected by conductor 101 withterminal 91 of the controlling switch. Terminal 90,- of the controllingswitch, is connected by conductor 102 with solenoid 45. Conductor 103completes circuit from solenoid 45 back to the remaining terminal 99, ofsaid switch. This is the main, or' primary circuit. A branch circuitincludes a conductor 104 which connects line 101 with solenoid 85, thelatter being connected by conductor 105 with terminal of the lockactuating switch. The remaining terminal 64, of said switch, isconnected by conductor 106 with line 103.

Now it will be observed by reference to Fig. 5 that the closure 71, ofthe controller, has considerable free or idle movement be tween aneutral position and prior to engagement with either set of terminals 69or 70. In other words, the closure 71 could be moved to some extenteither to the right or left of the accurate neutral position occupied in'Fig. 5 vwithout starting the car. However, if such movement were madeit would open the controlling switch for the reason that the actuator 86would move off from abutment 87. It is one of the important features ofthis invention not only to energize or initiate operation of the safetymechanism when the controller is in a nonoperative position but tocompel the operator to adjust the controller accurately to a neutralposition before the door can be opened.

The diagrammatic view shown by Fig. 5 assumes that the throw out switchwill be closed and that the car has just been brought to a position ofrest in flush relation with or in the required adjacency to a landing.The controlling lever at 7 2 has been adjusted to an accurate neutralposition thereby actuating the controlling switch to energize solenoid45 and cause the plunger 36 to be projected against the releasing plateor strip 28. This will retract bolt 19 and release latch plate 14 so asto permit the operator to unlatch the door 3 and slide the same into anopen position. Immediately upon opening the door 3 the latter willengage roller 12 and the roller will ride along the side of the door 3.This actuation of roller 12 will turn spindle 7 so as to shift lockingplate 14 outwardly against roller 52 of plunger 51. Such retraction ofplunger 51 will engage terminal 64 with terminal 65 and close circuit toenergize solenoid 85. This will rock lever 7 9 and project tooth 82 intonotch 78 thereby locking the controlling lever 7 2 against movementaccidentally or otherwise from a neutral position. It will also be notedthat lever 72 will be locked during initial opening movement of the doorand it is the intention to lock the lever 72 before the door has beenopened sufiiciently, or any where nearly so, as to permit of anyoneentering or departing from the car. Now with the parts .in thisposition, it would be absolutely impossible to start the car while thedoor was open. However, should any unforseen emergency or exigency arisewhich would require the car to be moved, the safety mechanism wouldreadily be deenergized by opening the throw-out switch.

Now I will assume that a passenger has alighted from or entered the carand that the operator wishes to start the latter. It will be firstnecessary to close the door thereby permitting the arm 11 to assume theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2, under the action of springs 8. Thiswill return actuating plate 14 to the position shown in Fig. 3 andrelease plunger 51 for action under spring 58 to free terminal 64 fromterminal 65. Thus the branch circuit will be opened even whilecontrolling switch is closed and the solenoid 85 will be denergized. Theweight of the core will tilt the lever 79 so as to free tooth 82 fromnotch 78 thereby unlocking the controller only after the elevator doorhas beenmoved to a closed position. Now the controller 72 will be movedto the right or left to effect an ascending or descending travel of thecar thereby freeing the abutment 87 and allowing member 88 to springoutwardly and disengage terminal 89 from terminal 90, of the controllingswitch. This will deenergize solenoid 45 and the spring 43 will retractplunger 86 so as to free the releasing plate 28 for movement into theposition shown in Fig. 3 under action of spring 30. This will cause bolt19 to be shot into locking engagement with latch lug 18, it beingunderstood that spring 8 will hold plate 14 in the position shown inFig. 3 for engagement by bolt 19.

It will be seen that throughout this entire cycle of operation,dependence is not placed upon any spring or springs to initiateoperative movement of the parts as all parts are positively actuated foroperative movement either mechanically or magnetically and springs areonly utilized to restore parts to initial or starting positions.

On ground floor landings it is not so important to hold the doorsagainst opening movement and in some such special cases this feature ofmy invention may be dis pensed with in which case the bolt 19 and plate28 together with their connected parts would be omitted from suchspecial landing.

In this event, the plate 14 would act solely as an actuating plate forthe plunger 51 and would not function in any way as a locking plate.However, in any event, plate 14 is always positively actuated by openingmovement of the door for shifting plunger 51 to close the branch circuitand lock the controller. In any case where the locking feature isomitted, the plunger 36 would be shifted idly at such landing.

The device of my invention also provides for omission of the doorlocking feature without any structural alteration of that portion of thedevice mounted on the landing. For instance, if for any reason it wasdesired to temporarily or otherwise dispense with the locking feature onsome landing other than the ground floor landing it would be merelynecessary to retract the bolt 19 and allow the plate 14 to be pressed byspring 8 against the outer face of lip 21 of bolt 19.

The locking device may be located on thetion from an absolute flushrelation between the car floor and the landing so that the wish to belimited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

. I claim 1- 1. In combination, an elevator shaft including a landingand a door, an elevator car, a door locking means mounted on saidlanding and including a rotary spindle having a locking arm engaging thedoor to hold the latter against opening movement and adapted to beactuated by the door when the same is opened, a latch plate mounted onsaid spindle, a bolt for locking said latch plate in a door holdingposition, a pivotedly mounted releasing plate operatively connected withsaid bolt, means carried by said car for actuating said releasing plateto free said door, a controller for said car, and means on said car andactuated by said latch plate when the latter is operated by openingmovement of the door to lock said controller, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination, an elevator shaft including a landing and a door, anelevator car, door-locking means mounted on said landing and including arotary spindle having a locking arm engaging and serving to hold thedoor against opening movement but adapted to be actuated by the doorwhen the latter is opened, said spindle alsohaving mounted thereon alatch plate provided at its engaging end with a lug; av bolt engagingsaid latch plate to lock the same, and having an overhanging endengaging said lug, a releasing member for said bolt, means carried bysaid car for actuating said releasing member to free the door, acontroller for said car, and means on said car for actuation by saidlatch portion when the latter is operated by opening movement of thedoor to lock said controller, substantially as described.

3. In combination, an elevator shaft including a landing and a door, anelevator car, door locking means mounted on said landing and including arotary spindle having a backing arm engaging and serving to hold thedoor against opening movement, said spindle also having a latch-plateprovided at its engaging end with a lug; a bolt engaging said latchplate to lock the same, and having an overhanging end engaging said lug,a releasing member for said bolt, and means carried by the car foractuating said releasing member to free the door,

substantially as described.

4. In combination with a'car, a car land- 5 movement of the car, anengaging device carried by the car to control said lever locking means,and a device mounted on said landing adapted to engage said engagingdevice of Copies of this patent may be obtained for the car upon openingmovement of said door, said landing device including a spring controlledrotary spindle having a door engaging arm and a swinging member adaptedto engage said engaging device of the car.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

JOHN A. MARTIN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

